Possession is Nine-Tenths
by Nate Grey
Summary: Harry possesses Duo Maxwell, and together, they attempt to win Melfina's heart.  Too bad it already belongs to Gene...
1. It Happened Late One Night...

HD-1 Title: Possession is Nine-Tenths   
(Gundam Wing/Outlaw Star)   


Disclaimer: I don't own anyone. As far as I know, all characters from Gundam Wing and Outlaw Star belong to Sunrise. All songs mentioned (Lately) belong to Tyrese. This was originally for a Gundam crossover contest...before I discovered the people handling it were totally clueless. 

Part 1: It Happened Late One Night... 

"I hate this! Heero's the computer expert, not me! He should be doing this!" 

Quatre's face smiled sympathetically from the monitor. "Sorry, Duo, but I really need this information, and you're the only one around." 

"Yeah, yeah. How do I upload this stuff again?" 

Quatre chuckled lightly. "You might try the big, blue button. You know, the one with 'Upload' in bold letters? I know, it should probably say 'Upload Stuff' instead, but-" 

Duo's eyes narrowed. "Shut. UP!" 

Quatre winced. "Sorry." 

Duo clicked the button. "There. It's done. Anything else I can do for you?" 

"Actually-" 

"No? Great! Seeya, buddy!" Duo clicked the box with the tiny X, grinning as Quatre's startled face vanished. "Finally! It's web surfing time!" 

* * * * * 

Ron McDougall sighed and rubbed his forehead. "I'm telling you, Harry, this will never work. He'd have to be a total idiot to fall for it!" 

"Trust me, Ron. This will work, I know it! Duo Maxwell may be a Gundam pilot, but something tells me he's not the brightest one. Such an obvious trick has to work on him. I'd bet a date with Melfina on it. In fact, if this works, I just might-" 

"Don't get ahead of yourself, little brother. He's got to open the e-mail first." 

"He will, Ron. He won't be able to resist." 

* * * * * 

Duo was just about to sign off when a cheery voice announced, "You've got mail!" 

"Mail? At this hour?" Duo clicked the icon and grinned as he saw the subject. "Live girls nude? Well, it has been a while, and no one's around..." He chuckled and clicked the link. "Hope it loads fast." 

The first thing that popped up onto the screen was long, green hair. 

"Hmm. Must be one of those exotic chicks." 

The pale skin and large, expressive eyes soon followed. 

"Man, that is one ugly chick! Well, maybe after a few beers..." 

"Hit the 'Enter' key to see the girls!" a strange voice said. 

Duo shrugged. "I've seen weirder things at a porn page." He hit the 'Enter' key. 

"Gotcha!" The screen went blank, and was soon flooded with a bright light 

"Hey! What the-" Duo didn't get to finish as something flew from the screen and hit him in the chest, knocking him to the floor. The room spun around crazily for a few seconds before he was plunged into darkness. 

* * * * * 

There was a superior smile on Harry's face as he announced, "Download complete. As of three seconds ago, I am in full control of Duo Maxwell's body." 

Ron looked impressed. "Just like that?" 

Harry nodded. "Just like that. I'll have to shut down this end for a while, though. I'll let you know how everything goes with Melfina." 

"Okay. See you later, little brother. Good luck." 

"Thanks, big brother, but I don't need it. I've already won." The screen went blank. 

Ron shook his head and sighed. "Hope you know what you're doing, Harry." 

* * * * * 

Duo blinked and slowly sat up. "Whoa. I'll never look at porn again as long as I live." 

_"That's a lie and we both know it."_

"What?! Who said that?!" 

_"Calm down, Duo. It was just me, the new voice inside your head."_

Duo blinked. "I'm nuts? Man, I heard I could go blind, but crazy?" 

There was a loud sigh and something like a shudder. _"Try to focus. My name is Harry McDougall, and I need a favor."_

"What makes you think I'll do anything for you?" 

_"This."_

Duo's hand flew up and punched him in the jaw. 

"Hey! What was that for?!" 

_"Just to prove that I can control you. It doesn't always have to be that unpleasant, if you cooperate."_

"Okay, you got my attention already!" 

_"Good. Listen to me carefully. There's a certain girl named Melfina I need to locate."_

Duo grinned. "Lucky for you, that happens to be my field of expertise." 

* * * * * 

As the warm water cascaded down her back, Melfina tried to think of all the reasons that Gene might've forgotten this year. "He was partially unconscious at the time. There are more important things to worry about. Maybe he got a really big job that calls for all his attention. No matter what he forgets, he never forgets to tell me what I need to hear." 

But then, she sighed. "Or maybe he just didn't remember at all." 

She knew Gene wasn't always the thoughtful type. That was Jim's department. Gene's department consisted of blowing things up, mouthing off, and getting into fights on a regular basis (usually because of his mouth). Still, he had his moments where he went from a street brawler to her knight in shining (if not somewhat damaged) armor. Tonight, it looked as if the street brawler was in full control. Gene and Jim had gone out on a job together. 

Melfina sighed and stepped out of the shower, wrapping a towel around herself. "Well, at least Jim's with him. That way there's someone to drag him home." She managed to sneak back to her room without being noticed. While Suzuka was probably above teasing her, Aisha definitely wasn't, and Melfina was depressed enough as it was. 

Once safely inside her room, Melfina picked up the CD player that Jim had rescued from a trash heap ("Only slightly used!" he'd said) and repaired as a gift to her. It didn't look like the most dependable piece of electronics, but it played well enough. She fiddled with it for a few seconds before the music finally began to play. 

_I can't imagine life_   
_Without you by my side_   
_This is love, baby_   
_That I'm feeling_   
_And I'm hoping that you're feeling the same way_   
_Things tend to slip my mind_   
_Like how you like to wine and dine, baby_   
_With romantic lights_   
_You mean a lot to me in so many ways_

Mefina sighed wistfully and began to get dressed as she sang along with the words. 

_Lately_   
_Have I told you I love you_   
_Lately_   
_Have I told you still mean the world to me_   
_Lately_   
_Have I told you I love you_   
_I'll be your wishing well_   
_Tell me what you want, baby_

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. "Melfina?" a familiar voice called. 

Melfina finished dressing and opened the door, only to find one of Gilliam's many drones floating. "Hi, Gilliam." 

"Greetings, Melfina. Are you busy? There's something I would like to speak to you about." 

Melfina thought for a moment. "Well, is it important? I'm really not feeling well right now." 

"In that case, I must insist," Gilliam replied. 

Melfina blinked. "Um...okay. What is it?" 

Gilliam cleared his throat. "Forgive me, I may be a little rusty." 

"Rusty? What are you-" 

Without warning, Gilliam burst into song. "Flesh wounds are red, most bruises are blue, and while I'm not here, I'm still in love with yoooooooooooooou!" 

It only took her a moment to figure out who had written the song. "Oh, Gene," she whispered, tears coming to her eyes. "You really did remember..." 

"There was a very lively kickline as well," Gilliam said, "but Suzuka and Aisha refused to cooperate." 

Melfina laughed at the very thought of those two doing anything but fighting together. "Just how did Gene con you into doing this, Gilliam?" 

"I believe he said something to the effect of, 'Don't do it for me, do it for Mel.'" 

"Well, I'm glad you fell for it. Thanks." 

"Oh, but there's more, dear! Follow me!" Gilliam turned and flew down the hall, singing more of Gene's original compositions. 

Melfina followed slowly, wondering what else Gene might have planned. As she stepped into the dark kitchen, she found out. 

"SURPRISE!" four voices shouted. 

Melfina gasped in shock as the lights came on. 

"Happy Birthday!" Aisha shouted. 

Everyone else groaned and smacked their foreheads. 

"What?!" Aisha asked, looking at them all. 

"It's not her birthday, Aisha," Jim explained. "It's the anniversary of the day Melfina and Gene first...um..." 

"Kissed?" Suzuka offered. 

"Hey, other stuff happened, too," Gene pointed out. "Though that was my favorite part..." 

Melfina's gaze slowly landed on the red and white cake on the table. It was decorated with a tiny replica of the Outlaw Star and little frosting explosions. "This...is all for me?" she asked. 

"For us," Gene corrected, wrapping an arm around her waist. "The party was my idea." 

"I seem to recall doing all the work," Jim muttered. 

"Okay, Jim helped a little." 

Melfina smiled. "Thank you...all of you. This is so..." 

"Unexpected?" Jim guessed. 

"That, too. But I was going to say nice." She leaned down and kissed Jim's cheek. "I appreciate all the things you do, Jim." 

"Well, at least someone does," he muttered. 

"What's that supposed to mean?!" Gene cried. 

"Don't make me hurt you two," Suzuka threatened. "This is a special occasion. At least try to behave." 

Aisha grinned. "Go on, Mel! Blow out the candles!" 

"Candles?" Jim looked at the cake for the first time. "Aisha, I told you no candles!" 

Aisha ruffled his hair. "It was a personal touch, and it only makes things more happy." 

Melfina started to blow out the candles, but then paused. Her face suddenly fell. 

"What's wrong, Mel?" Gene asked, a concerned look on his face. 

"This is also the day after Harry died," she whispered. 

"He was very brave," Suzuka said quietly. 

Melfina wiped a tear from her eye. "I really do appreciate all this, everyone, but...I need to be alone for a while." She pulled away from Gene and ran out of the kitchen. 

There was total silence for a while, until Aisha's voice rang out. 

"But we can still eat the cake, right? Right?" 

* * * * * 

What does Harry have in store for Melfina? More importantly, what's he gonna do with poor Duo's body? Don't ask me, I sure don't know... 


	2. Harry's Plan

HD-2 Part 2: Harry's Plan 

"This will never work, Harry," Duo muttered. 

_"Yes, it will. Stop slouching and stand up straight."_

"She'll never believe that I'm you." 

_"I can prove that, so don't worry about it. Now, what are you going to say when you see her?"_

"There's this voice in my head that would really like to talk to you." 

Duo's hand smacked him across the face. 

_"Try it again, Duo."_

"This voice in my head sucks, but it would rather suck face with you?" 

Duo's fist crashed into his jaw. 

_"You said you'd cooperate. Why are you making this difficult?"_

"Maybe I lied. Maybe I don't like being used." 

_"Maybe I've been waiting two lifetimes for this, and I'm a little determined, okay?"_

Duo rubbed his jaw. "Fine. But once I do this, you're gone, right?" 

_"I promise. You do this for me, and you'll never hear me again."_

"There's one more thing I have to know, Harry." 

_"What's that?"_

Duo glanced down at his new clothes. "Before you died...were you gay? These clothes do not establish my manhood!" 

_"First, just because my fashion sense is superior to yours does not mean I am gay. Second, I'm going through all this trouble to see a girl. Third, if I was gay, don't you think I would've made you do something both homosexual and humiliating by now?"_

Duo thought for a moment. "Does the porn site count? That was humiliating."__

_"No, Duo. That was merely a trap used to trick you. And it worked out quite well."_

"Shut up." Though Duo couldn't see it, he could still feel Harry's superior grin. "And wipe that grin off my face!" 

* * * * * 

Melfina found that the best way to deal with depression was to satisfy her sweet tooth. Since her metabolism was faster than the average human's, she had no problem keeping weight off. But after three milkshakes, an ice cream sundae, and a chocolate bar, she still hadn't stopped thinking about Harry. 

She was just considering another milkshake when there was a loud knock on the door. With a sigh, she walked over and opened it. 

The boy that stared back at her was overdressed, to say the least. But before she could say anything, he held up a bouquet of yellow roses. 

Melfina blinked, and wondered if she should accept them. "Um...do I know you?" asked. 

"Yes. No!" The boy shook his head. "No, not exactly. I am...was...a friend of Harry McDougall." 

"Oh." Trying not to sound too depressed, Melfina took the flowers and invited him in. "What's your name?" 

"Duo Maxwell," he replied as he walked past her. 

Melfina gasped. "What happened to your face?!" 

"Huh? Oh, this?" he asked, pointing to the purple bruise on his chin. "I...uh...got into a fight on the way over. Stupid pirates tried to rob me, but they didn't get a single wong!" 

Melfina didn't really believe that, for some reason, and noticed he seemed to be a little nervous. "Is something wrong?" she asked, taking a seat on the couch. 

Duo stared at her for a moment, then sighed. "This is going to sound extremely weird, but I'm not crazy." He sat down beside her. "I came here because this guy in my head wanted to see you." 

Melfina blinked slowly. "Okay," she said after a moment. It was obvious that she was starting to regret inviting him in. 

"No, seriously! I know you think Harry's dead, but he's not. He downloaded his brain waves to the El Dorado's computer, and then to me. You know, like when you save a file on a disk? Well, he saved himself to me." 

"Duo...that does sound pretty crazy. Maybe if you had some proof, I could-" 

"Proof! Right! Something only you and him would know! Um...let me think. Wait, I got it! He first told you that he loved you at the Galactic Leyline! Whatever that is..." 

Melfina's eyes widened. "H-Harry?" she stammered. 

"He says you can talk to him directly if you take my hand." Duo held his hand out to her. 

Melfina hesitantly placed her hand in his. 

A blank expression appeared on Duo's face. 

_"Hello, Melfina. It's been a while."_

"Harry! It's really you!" 

_"Yes, my angel. I've found you at last. You can't imagine how hard I've searched for a way to be with you. We were meant to be together, Melfina."_

Melfina sighed. "Harry, I've missed you...but I'm in love with Gene now." 

There was something like a mental sigh. _"I know, Melfina. I can accept that. But...I have to be near you. Please. You're the only one who can truly understand what it's like to be...me."_

"What are you saying, Harry?" 

_"I'm saying I want to stay here, with you and the others."_

"Harry, that's sweet, but...you can't just keep Duo's body. He needs it." 

_"That's no trouble. I still have my old body. Once it's rebuilt, I can download myself back into it."_

"Then...you've told him about the consequences?" 

Duo's face twisted as he fought to regain control of his body. "WHAT?! Consequences?!" 

"Yes, Duo," Melfina explained. "If Harry's inside you too long, he won't be able to download himself to anything else." 

"HEY! You never told me that!" 

_"Well, if you had cooperated early on, I would have!"_

"Harry." Melfina squeezed Duo's hand. "You're starting to sound like the old you. The one that I was afraid of. I don't like that version of you." 

_"You're...right. I'm sorry, Melfina. It's just that I've looked forward to this day for so long..."_

"You can stay with me, Harry...but only if you promise to leave Duo's body immediately. I want you to download yourself into one of Gilliam's drones so Duo won't be in danger." 

"Yeah, and I'm with her!" Duo insisted. "Let's get Duo out of danger FIRST!" 

Harry sighed. _"Very well. But we must begin repairs on my old body right away."_

"That's no problem. I'll have Jim get right on it as soon as he gets back." Melfina smiled. "It's nice to have you back, Harry." 

"Hey, Harry?" Duo asked. 

_"Yes, Duo?"_

"I gotta admit, your gal pal is QUITE the babe. Good eye!" 

_"Duo..."_

"What? Just because YOU can't touch her yet doesn't mean I can't-" 

Duo's fist crashed into his jaw. 

"OW!" 

Melfina blushed and turned away while Duo literally began beating himself silly. 

* * * * * 

Will Harry's old body be able to support his brain waves? And once Duo's free, what's he gonna do? What's Gene got to say about Harry's return? Find out...um...some day? 


End file.
